Tips for Choosing Sustainable Seafood
- Choose smaller seafood that are on the lower end of the food chain, for example clams, oysters, scallops, sardines. Alaskan Harvest Seafood has oysters, clams and scallops. The reason for choosing these is that they tend to have a shorter life cycle and reproduce at a faster rate. Thus fishing will not hurt their populations too much.
- Try and eat a variety of different fish and remember variety is the spice of life. Another great reason to do this is the fact that it will decrease the risk of consuming a lot of toxins.
- Read your labels and check which country the fish came from, as a rule of thumb fish from the US and Canada will be safer, in fact Alaskan seafood is a good choice.
- Eat less big fish due to their size and long life they may have accumulated more toxins in their flesh. Studies have shown that the wild fish from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest are considered to be safer.
- Limit Ahi Tuna as it is near extinction
- Don't eat Farmed salmon
- When at the sushi bar, say no to freshwater eel or unagi as again it is near extinction.
So with a little thought and good choices, we can take care of our planet and still eat fish as part of a balanced and varied diet.
Sources:
By: Rebecca Subbiah RD, LDN
Photo Credit:
David Clode